BJJ positions and submissions
37 terms grouped the way BJJ players talk about them, with common synonyms.
Guards (bottom)
Playing off your back or seated.
| Name | Kind | Also called | Competition rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed guard | position | ||
| Half guard | position | half guard bottom, half guard top | |
| Open guard | position | open guard bottom | |
| Butterfly | position | ||
| De La Riva | position | de la riva, de la riva guard, dlr guard | |
| Reverse De La Riva | position | reverse de la riva, reverse dlr, rdlr guard | |
| X-guard | position | x guard guard | |
| Single-leg X | position | single leg x guard, slx | |
| Collar sleeve | position | ||
| Half butterfly | position | ||
| 50/50 | position | fifty fifty | |
| Guard retention | position |
Passing & top control
Getting past the legs and holding top.
| Name | Kind | Also called | Competition rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guard passing | position | guard passing, passing guard, pass | |
| Pressure passing | position | pressure pass | |
| Stack pass | position | stack, stack passing | |
| Leg drag | position | ||
| Side control | position | cross side, cross body, side mount | |
| Mount | position | ||
| Knee on belly | position | knee on stomach, knee in belly | |
| Back control | position | rear mount, back mount | |
| Back takes | position | back takes, take the back, taking the back | |
| Turtle | position |
Takedowns & standing
Getting the fight to the ground.
| Name | Kind | Also called | Competition rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Takedowns | position | takedowns | |
| Wrestling | position | ||
| Judo & throws | position | judo throw, judo throws | |
| Standing | position | ||
| Front headlock | position |
Submissions
Finishing the fight.
| Name | Kind | Also called | Competition rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armbar | submission | ||
| Chokes | submission | ||
| Triangle | submission | triangle choke, triangle from guard | Rules |
| Kimura | submission | ||
| Leg locks | submission | heel hook, inside heel hook, outside heel hook, kneebar, knee bar, toe hold | |
| Omoplata | submission | Rules | |
| Wrist locks | submission | Rules |
Sweeps & scrambles
Reversing position and winning the scramble.
| Name | Kind | Also called | Competition rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweeps | position | ||
| Berimbolo | position | ||
| Crab ride | position |
See also
Data from bjj-data by Grapple Flows (grappleflows.com), licensed CC BY 4.0; reformatted into tables on this page.
Data: bjj-data (Grapple Flows) (CC BY 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.